Arizona weekly enterprise., 1887-12-03
l.l-.s 1Hs>ssr Al ASKA AIIRORAS.
A Marvelously Beautiful Arch of Kaleido-
 scOpfc Light.

MarveIously Beautiful Arch of kaleido-
 scopic Light.
 Lieutenant Ray, in his report to the Government on the international polar expedition to Point Barrow, Alaska, says: Every clear night the sky was illuminated by the most beautiful dls- plays of aurora it has ever been my fortune to witness. They always com menced in the northeast and northwest, and seemed to spring from dark, low bank of clouds. The lights were never stationary for single second, neither did they ever take the form of bows or arches, so often seen in other latitudes, but great curtains of light, flashing with all the prismatic colors, seemed to be drawn across the heavens, ever rising and changing, and often cuimi- hating in a corona at the zenith, and falling like shower of meteorlc hre. As the winter advanced these displays were more brilliant and were always of a character that defies description, either by pen or pencil, as they were never for two seconds alike. They were unaccompanied by any sound, so far as we were able to observe, and the deathly stiffness that always prevails in this region when the sea is closed gavo us an excellent opportunity to detect any sound had there been any" Lieutenant Ray thus more specifically describes one of these auroras-one Of
 the most magnificent displays that he
 observed, and which occurred December | 8, 1881:
 ''The first appearance was in the south and southeast, and for several
 hours nothing appeared but few pale
 arches and bands, which had no re-
 markable features worthy of notice ex-
 cept the rapidity with which they
 changed their position and character.
 They appeared, faded and reaBpeared
 in various parts of the sky so quickly,
 that it was very difficult to localize
 them. At 2:40 a. m. a narrow, greening-
 yellow arch, with beautiful rosy fringe,
 developed in the south-southeast, and ID
 a few minutes extended through Taurus,
 Cassiopea and Cygnus down to the
 north, and for about ten minutes dis
 played some extremely beautiful tints,
 especially along its northern half. Il
 seemed to be composed of an infinite
 number of short rays in d condition ol
 intense vibration, the motion being prln
 cipally in the direction of it's length : while flashes of the most vivid coloring beamed out in the most bewilderlnE , variety. At the same time numerou rays and patches Of quivering light ap r peared in various parts of the sky 1T l quick succession, dancing and gryatins
 to and fro, swift as the lightning flash } While the northern half of the arch re t mained thus brilliant the southern hal l faded away.
 5 "A few minutes afterward patch o l rosy, greenish light appeared in tn 3 middle of Orion. and in minute c t two developed into numerous sheave T of rays with the greatest variety an
 intensity of motion, and displaying tn r. most brilliant color as they rose an : converged to point close to the sta J. Algol, forming an imperfect but mo Q brilliant corona, which swayed an o swirled and eddied around our zenit It with kaIeidoscopic magnihcence u
 
 Q terlv indescribabie The changes of tin d aspect and position were so rapid ar 10 numerous that the eye strove to folio 1t their bewildering confusion in val 1t Their general motion was tu the mort e. though a brilliant curtain was at u to same time moving toward the zeni ? from the north Tine brilliancy of t
 moon seemed to have little effect on t
 intensity of the coIors which appeare The colors were very numerous. Orane =. yellow, rose, ruby, red, peach blossor W emerald green and numerous intern diate tints changed and interchang as in beautiful confusion. The wht lie phenomenon of waving wreaths, fife " ering flames, rays, curtains. firing at bands and flashing colors. the stran .ty confusion of light and motion. p re sented a picture of which words c lie convey very poor idea. The wh no display lasted about thirty minute 2 There was also intense magnetic d ,ts turbance during this time, the need Ike being almost unmanageable. l en peculiarity of this aurora was it's lC tal ness in the atmosphere, several pate he of cloud, apparently not very elevat he appearing far above it. It did not he tirely disappear until twelve, mid-d al N. 0. TtneS-D Democrat.